


Kiss Me With Adventure

by tiredly



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Emotional Baggage, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Heartache, Holidays, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Pining, Post Hogwarts AU, Post-Hogwarts, Post-War, draco and harry are side characters but i might write about that ordeal later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 09:22:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13455273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiredly/pseuds/tiredly
Summary: January twelfth. Otherwise known as the day that Ginevra Weasley loses her fucking mind.





	Kiss Me With Adventure

_ International Kiss-a-Ginger Day. _

Ginny stares at her phone. Blinks. Refreshes it. But the tab stays exactly the same. 

“Ginny?” Luna asks. “You look conflicted.” When Ginny doesn’t respond, Luna sits up from across the table and begins to swat at her head. “I bet it’s the nargles,” she says as Ginny tries to dodge her flying hands. “They’ve been with you a lot lately. Have you been eating enough carrots?” 

“Luna, I - ow! - I’m fine. Merlin, it’s, it’s not the nargles, okay? Stop swatting at me. I just got distracted.” Luna lowers her hands with a cheerful “okay!” as Ginny tries to fix her mussed hair. Ginny notices in her peripheral a few people pausing to give confused looks while walking past the two of them. Perhaps it’s a bad idea to go to muggle coffee shops on the weekends. 

“So, you never answered my question,” Luna says, surveying the menu. “Oh, do you think I should get the raspberry mocha? If sounds good. I think I’ll get it,” she rambles to herself, not giving Ginny any time for input. 

“Er… what question?” Ginny scratches the back of her neck. “I mean, I dunno, I eat carrots often enough? They’re part of the Harpies’ meal plans. I dunno how many, I don't really count them, but-”

“Oh, not that! The other one.” Luna’s hair bounces as she shakes her head. Ginny has to force her eyes away. “Though we should definitely make it a habit. Nargles aren’t something we want to deal with. But I asked you what today was. Today’s holiday.” 

Ginny gulped. After renting a flat together, they’d had the idea to get through the days by taking time to celebrate each one. It made life after the war easier. Especially for Luna, Ginny sometimes thought, having something small to derive joy from day to day. After being in the dungeons for so long, especially. Ginny suspected the worst part of it was the continuity, the boredom and dread, spending every passing second doing the same thing, always awaiting, well… death. 

Luna really likes their holidays. 

The problem is, the muggles sometimes had  _ odd _ ideas about what to celebrate. Exhibit A: January 12th. 

Ginny realized that Luna was still waiting for an answer. For a moment, she panics, and her mind stutters to a halt. She can already imagine the uncomfortable silence that would definitely ensue if she told Luna what the date was. She knows Luna would go through with it, if for no other reason than obligation, and the thought of that being the circumstance for their first (and only) kiss has sorrow pooling in Ginny’s chest. Worse still, if Luna decided to find someone else to kiss, just a random bloke in the cafe perhaps, Ginny is rather sure the entire cafe would be able to hear her heart shatter. Luna would definitely notice, and what an interesting conversation that would force them to have. 

Ginny can’t let her know what the day means.

“It’s national candy apple day,” Ginny finds herself lying through her teeth. She gives what she hopes looks like a convincing smile. “Sounds like shite for people with allergies, I imagine, but we’ve both healthy organs and St. Mungo’s as a backup, so. We should be fine,” Ginny laughs to herself. But Luna is still peering at her with those almost unnervingly perceptive eyes, and Ginny is so busy focusing on them that she doesn’t even notice Luna’s hands flying out once again to swat at the space around her head until one of them hits her.  “Blimey! Could you stop doing that without warning?” 

“I’m gonna get us some more carrots next time we go shopping. Carrots help with the nargles,” Luna mutters as she types a reminder into her phone. Ginny’s eyes follow her fingers moving impossibly fast. Although they had both bought phones after the war, Luna was much better at it than Ginny could ever be. “Where do you think we can find candied apples? In January, no less? What an odd holiday.” Ginny frowns. Shit. She’s right.  _ Candied apples? Really? Was that the best you could come up with?   _ She plasters another grin back onto her face. 

“There must be a candy shop that carries them somewhere in London,” Ginny says. “We’ll find it. I can floo Ron. If anyone knows where to go, it’ll be him.”

Luna apprehensively sends a glance at the clock on the wall. A quarter to five. Most places wouldn’t be open for much longer. 

Ginny curses herself.  _ You tosser _ , she thinks.  _ What have you gotten yourself into? _

 

-

 

Ginny bursts into Ron and Hermione’s flat, already brushing the ash off her jeans, but stops abruptly. The two of them, and Harry and Draco, are gathered around the table looking at what almost looked like an abnormally furry, white bowling ball. One with an unreasonably squashed face. 

“What  _ is _ that thing?”

“Ginevra,” Draco drawls from the couch. “Delightful, as always.” He is sprawled across it, with his head in Harry’s lap. Harry’s fingers are stroking Draco’s hair, and Ginny wonders if they could be any less hideously affectionate. “And I shall thank you to be more polite to my pet. She’s got claws as well as ears.”

“Draco, she’s not our pet,” Harry sighs. 

“You just don’t approve because she doesn’t put up with your hound’s antics.”

“Snivellus was only trying to sniff her!”

As the two argue, Ginny takes a closer look at the thing and sees two pointy ears nearly covered by the wispy, pale fur. Its tail flicks back and forth, and it gives a growl of warning when Ginny gets to be what it has apparently deemed too close.

“That’s a cat!” she yells, jumping back. 

“-if you’d actually feed her, Harry, then maybe - why yes, it is in fact, a cat,” Draco interrupts his own rant. “A wonderful observation. However, it’s not only a cat. That is a persian.” 

“A what?”

“A quality breed,” he crows, and Ginny knows she definitely isn’t the first person he’s said this to, judging by the roll in everyone else’s eyes. “Showed up right on our doorstep this morning. I gave her a slice of my quail, and she hasn’t left my side since.”

“Reckon she’s yours now, then,” Ginny says, eyeing it warily.

“See, Potter!” Draco sits upright, nearly hitting Harry’s chin with his head. “I bloody told you!”

“You know we’re engaged, Draco? Last names aren’t gonna be a thing for us for much longer,” Harry says. Ginny groans inwardly. Harry likely thinks he’s been subtle, but he’s also been slipping in the fact that they’ve gotten engaged in every conversation they’ve had since it happened in December. “And besides,” he continues, “We can't just take in a cat that we found on our door. It probably has an owner.”

“There’s no collar, Harry,” Ginny cuts in.

“And what about a microchip? Have you checked for that as well?” He asks Draco, whose face reflects the utter bewilderment that Ginny was feeling. There’s a lengthy silence. 

“Mate, what are you talking about?” Ron says.

“Harry, I agree, but really. You live in a wizarding neighborhood. I don’t think it would be a Muggle cat,” Hermione says. “And wizards don’t know about microchips. Obviously,” she says, her hand motioning to Draco’s confusion. 

“But… I-“ Harry’s face darkens with embarrassment. Or frustration. 

“If that’s the issue, take it to a muggle veterinary office. They’ll be able to tell,” Hermione suggests, beaming. Ginny suddenly remembers her orange beast from Hogwarts, Crookshanks. Draco must have suggested going to Hermione because he knew she isn’t able to refuse big eyes and whiskers. Draco’s smile is smug. Ginny can’t help but reflect on how utterly  _ Slytherin _ that is. 

Ron is looking with discomfort at the cat, no doubt reminded of Crookshanks as well, and Ginny is reminded of her purpose and her need to be hasty. 

“Ron, can I talk to you while they fight it out?” Ron looks relieved to be excused, and he leaves the room with Ginny in tow. 

“Blimey - thanks, Gin. I couldn’t stand that thing looking at me another second.” Ginny grins, though she knows the cat had barely taken its eyes off Draco the entire time. “What do you need?” 

Ginny rattles off the story of their daily holidays, and explains that she needs candied apples, fast. 

“Candied apples? In January?” Ginny flinches, cursing her so-called quick thinking. Ron notices her discomfort, and raises an eyebrow. 

“I… well I, you know, I had to think fast, Ron, I just thought of the first, well, the first food that came to mind,” Ginny rambles, with each word causing her face to flush more and more red. 

“Gin, what do you mean? Did you make it all up? I thought-”

“Well today may or may not have been… it, well the alternative was telling her the actual holiday and that would be. Well.” She suddenly finds herself without a voice.

“I’m not a Legilimens,” Ron says after a loaded silence. “Spit it out.”

“Today is… it’sactuallynationalkissagingerday,” Ginny says, all in one breath. “And I didn’t want her to feel forced into kissing me, the most convenient ginger. And I didn’t want her kissing someone else, I mean, I do  _ want _ her to kiss me, I just. It can’t be under those circumstances. I. Um,” she pauses, clears her throat, and tries again. “I kind of… really like her, Ron.” Finally she raises her eyes to Ron’s, and sees pity. Which is worse than annoyance. “Merlin’s pants, Ron, don’t look at me with all that, like I’m some kind of, like I’m some kicked puppy, okay, I’m  _ not _ . I just need some bloody addresses, and I need them now, before everything closes.” Ron continues looking at her, mouth agape, most certainly  _ not _ doing what Ginny asked. “ _ Now _ , Ron!” 

“Right, uh, there’s Occasionally Sweet, Candied Carl’s, Sweet n Sugary, Fruity Fixes, um… wait, those two in Flinton, and - wait, you’re asking for muggle ones, right?” Ginny is already rushing out of the hallway, into the living room, and scooping up floo powder. 

“Sounds great! Thanks, Ron,” she shouts, accidentally spooking the cat which seems to have doubled in size.

“You’ve scared Amphrite,” Draco squawks, to which Harry argues, “Draco, we just agreed her name is Pom Pom!” 

The last thing Ginny sees before being engulfed in green is Hermione’s now despairing face as she leaps over the table to pry the fluffy monstrosity off of Harry’s shoulder. 

 

-

 

“Luna!” Ginny gasps after stumbling out of the floo. Luna’s head pops out of her room, blonde hair swinging. “I’ve got places, but they’re all in muggle areas. Not many apparition points, so we have to either take the bus or run.”

“Bus!” Luna cries, her eyes frantic. 

“It should be at our stop in five. I’ve got our passes.”

“And I’ve the money! Hurry!” 

They both sprint down the stairs and outside of their building, Luna hitching up the folds of her skirt so not to trip over it, hair tangling in the air behind her, and broomstick earrings bouncing off of her neck. Ginny can’t help but think that she’s never seen a sight so beautiful. 

Once they stop on the corner of the street, two blocks away by the bus stop, they both double over panting. 

“What a team we make,” Luna says with a smile. 

“I thought,” Ginny starts, then pauses to cough. “I thought I was training to play with the Harpies, but obviously I need more cardio.”

“Maybe you’ll get fit enough to carry me on your back next time we run!” Luna says almost cheerfully. Ginny feels a pang in her chest. All of this trouble for sweets that don’t actually mean anything. 

But they do. They do mean something, they mean everything. Before their holidays, before they began looking forward to celebrating everyday, Luna had nightmares nearly every night. Mostly about her time in the Manor. She would wake Ginny, not with screaming, but with soft hiccups from crying so much. Often, if it got to be too steady from day to day, Ginny would find her sitting in her bed staring despairingly at the comforter. 

She had needed something to look forward to. Something unique about each day. Something giving her a reason to smile again. 

She takes one look at Luna’s nervous smile, and she knows she’ll do it if it kills her. 

She needs to get those fucking apples. 

 

-

 

“Closed?” Ginny shouts, to nobody in particular. The air is so cold that her breath forms small ice crystals in the air, but her neck feels as if it’s boiling. “What tosser closes their shop at 6? On a Monday!” She lets out one last screech of frustration, then runs back to Luna. Her blue eyes are filled with disappointment, but she’s still got a smile on. 

Ginny has a damn near uncontrollable urge to punch herself in the face. But she got them into this, she’s got to get them back out, and a bloody nose wouldn’t do anything to solve their problems right now. 

Without thinking, she grabs Luna’s hand. “Let’s apparate. There aren’t any points on this block, but if we run we’ll find one just northward.” 

She doesn’t need to say any more. Luna’s already taken off, pulling Ginny alongside her. 

 

-

 

The next shop doesn’t sell candied apples, or anything near them. The next two are closed. 

There’s one left on the list that Ron had given, and then that’s it. They’ll be out of options. Ginny feels fury at herself and what she’s done, an emotion that’s magnetized by the look of defeat in Luna’s eyes on the last bus ride. She impulsively reaches over and gives Luna’s hand a squeeze. She doesn’t let go, and Luna looks up at her. 

“It’ll be okay,” Ginny finds herself saying. “We’ll celebrate. I promise.” 

Once the bus lets them off, they run as quickly as their legs will carry them. The sun has long past set, leaving a rapidly darkening blue glow in the sky. 

And there, one of the last stores on the block, is Sugar Sweet Treats. Ginny’s last hope.  _ Please, Merlin, _ she thinks with all her might,  _ please _ . 

They both stop in front of the entrance. The lights inside are cozy, the warmth practically exuding from the closed door, and people are smiling inside. Ginny gulps. This is it. 

“Ready?” She asks Luna. Luna nods, albeit hesitantly. Ginny understands. She would almost rather not go in at all. But they’ve both come too far, so she smiles and says, “Yeah. Me too.”

The smells are the first things to hit them upon walking in. It smells of cinnamon, frosting, chocolate, anything and everything appealing. Ginny wonders if the establishment could be secretly wizard-run. It certainly smells like it is. 

The line is short. Ginny and Luna stand close together. When the man behind the counter, a jolly looking fellow, greets them, they are both silent. The passing seconds blur - it may have been one, five, fifteen, even - and then it’s broken. 

Finally, Luna speaks, and trips over her own words. Her hand shakes as she asks for candy apples, and Ginny is hit by another round of guilt, racking her body like a tidal wave. How could she have done this to Luna? How could she have risked her best friend’s happiness, her source of hope, their tradition that brought Ginny more joy than anything else in her day? All for the selfish purpose of not having to watch Luna kiss someone else. 

Behind the counter, the man listens and his mouth forms a confused frown. Ginny knows that face. The apologetic expression of someone who is about to say no. Her stomach sinks. 

He says he hasn’t carried them for weeks. 

Luna buries her face in Ginny’s shoulder and stays there. Ginny can feel wetness - tears - on her sleeve, and feels her own begin to well up in the corners of her eyes. This is all her fault. 

The two leave the shop quickly and in silence. The sky no longer has a lingering glow from the sunset. The wind bites at Ginny’s eyes, and if it makes a few tears roll down her face, then she doesn’t notice. 

Luna asks to stop as they walk past a lake. Ginny says yes. Of course she does. Right now, she’d do anything. 

There are no words spoken for Merlin knows how long. Just the occasional sniffle from Luna. Ginny is still holding her hands, clutching on for dear life. They both shake with unspoken emotion. 

Nothing is said until Luna raises her head enough to mutter, “January. It’s January. Why would they hold it in January?” before she curled in on herself releasing heart wrenching sobs. Ginny releases her hands and takes her by the shoulders, pulling them to her chest, and resting her chin on top of Luna’s head. 

“Luna, I’m so…” Ginny starts, but she can’t finish the sentence. It’s too small a statement. She watches as Luna sits straighter, wipes her eyes, and puts on a watery smile. 

“You needn’t apologize, Ginny,” she says softly, and somehow that makes it much worse. “You’ve always been lovely to me. I wish I hadn’t cried on your shirt, that’s an awful way to give thanks.”

Ginny can’t take it any longer. She breaks the eye contact. “No, Luna, I haven’t,” she whispers. “This is my fault.” 

“It’s-”

“I lied,” Ginny blurts out. “I lied about the holiday. It’s not actually about apples. Nothing to do with them. I lied, Luna, I lied, and I’m so sorry.” 

Luna is silent, her blue eyes wide and attentive. Prompting Ginny to keep talking. 

“It’s, oh Luna, you’re supposed to kiss a ginger for today’s holiday,” Ginny confesses. “I couldn’t stand the idea of you feeling… obliged to, you know, snog me.” She keeps her eyes trained on the lake. Nothing but the lake. “I wanted our first kiss to be real. Not the result of our holidays.” 

She feels a pressure lifting upwards on her chin. Soft, but demanding. Luna’s fingertips. 

When she looks up, she’s expecting anger. Hurt. Betrayal, at the very least. Not a smile, not like the one Luna’s got. 

“What I’ve gathered,” she says, “Is that there’s still time for us to celebrate. And my mean of doing so is sitting right next to me, looking very tempting.” 

Ginny blinks. “Erm. Yes. That’s uh, that’s. You’re correct.” 

“Well, that’s quite convenient.” Then Luna tilts her head up and presses her lips to Ginny’s. 

It’s an awkward kiss, to be blunt. Ginny’s shock renders her pathetically useless, and her most of her response is a body frozen in place and eyes that can’t seem to do so much as blink while Luna tilts her head to the left, to the right, up and down. She peppers small kisses along Ginny’s jawline and nose, before giving up and placing them everywhere she can reach. 

When she pulls away, she does so only slightly so that her nose is inches from Ginny’s, looking satisfied and her wet eyelashes the only sign of any previous sadness. Her face is glowing. And it brings Ginny to action. She reaches back up, her hand shaking, and cups Luna’s neck to bring her in again. 

This time, their kiss is perfect.


End file.
